Egypt: Brotherhood Divisions

The election of new members to the Muslim Brotherhood’s Executive Guidance Bureau (see our post) illustrates growing rifts in the movement.  The Christian Science Monitor writes that the MB is divided largely along generational lines about how to oppose President Hosni Mubarak.   The older conservatives seek to focus on building organizational strength, while younger members who entered the MB in the 1970′s are more committed to external outreach. The Brotherhood’s General Guide Mahdi Mohammed Akef has tried to bridge the gap between the two camps.  With Akef planning to step down in January and his successor likely to be from the old-guard, the article warns the next general guide will put an end to the in-fighting and will likely drive reformists out of the party.

BikyaMasr presents an in-depth interview with Gamal Al Banna, the brother of the Muslim Brotherhood’s founding member Hasan Al Banna.  The article discusses Gamal’s role as a progressive thinker in the “ever-growing radicalism of Egyptian society.” Recently, Al Banna stirred a new controversy about the hijab and public displays of affection, arguing “that Islam is a religion of the people and that it should be the individual who chooses how to practice their faith outside movements or religious groups.”

After Egyptian officials confirmed that they will build an underground barrier next to the Gaza border, Al Masry Al Youm reports the government has denied a request by international activists to stage a march from Egypt to the Gaza Strip to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Gaza war. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit has given an interview with Al-Arabiya in which he argues that Egypt, as a sovereign state, has the right to do whatever it wants to guarantee its full security, including building security barriers and using eavesdropping equipment.

The FreeKareem blog reports that Egyptian blogger AbdelKareem Nabil Soliman’s final appeal was rejected and he will remain in prison until November 2010.

BikyaMasr also highlights increasing Coptic persecution ahead of Christmas and the U.S. Copts Association’s efforts to pressure the Obama administration to take action.  Discussing sectarian violence, one interviewee argues that large-scale violence tends to grow out of personal revenge attacks.  In response the Copts Association’s demands include the removal of religious affiliation from national ID card to prevent discrimination.